Somebody's Someone (28 page)

“Bible-toting Jesus freak” was what most anybody called ole Miss Bushfield. Everybody knowed that Anica’s mama was strange. Not just b’cause she walked round preaching to folks who didn’t wanna hear her “Gospel” as she called it, even after they told her to be on her way. It was the way she looked that made most folks wanna think on her as different. Her eyes was set real far apart, which made her look like she could see round the corner and watch whatever you was up to. And if that wasn’t ’nough, her upper lip was turned up like it got burned, making her look like she was a growling fish with lips. And to top it all off, when she talked, it sounded and felt like she was spittin’
S
’s at you. Secretly, I knew she couldn’t help the part ’bout her lip, so I never made fun of her. Plus, Big Mama always said not to poke fun at people and they defects. The grown folks believed that if you mocked such folks, you could take on they ways. Lord knows I didn’t wanna have none of that. I liked the way I look just fine.

So I tried to stay quiet when everybody made fun of ole Miss Bushfield. But when I tried to tell Anica why people said things ’bout her mama, she reminded me that at least she had a mama, and she knew where she was at all times. I let Anica slide on this, on account they was nice ’nough to let me stay with ’em, even if my way was being paid for this niceness. Glenn had promised ole Miss Bushfield that he would send her money for taking me in for as long as he was away, and since he didn’t know when he was coming back for me from Los Angeles, she stood to make a whole bunch a money. Now, she was no Widow Douglas, and she seemed all right, to the naked eye, but as the grown folks would say, “Ya sho’ cain’t judge no book by its cover.”

Everything got off to a smooth start. Glenn paid Miss Bush-field for the first two months and promised her that there’d be plenty more where that came from. He gave her a number she could reach him at if she needed to and left. I don’t r’member any fancy good-byes with Glenn, and by now that was fine with me. I secretly hoped that I never had to see him again.

It was pretty easy settin’ myself up in Anica’s room. I didn’t have a lot of things to take with me from Glenn and Nadine’s, and what I did have fit right into a plastic Glad garbage bag. It was kinda good sharing a room with Anica. She had more space than any child I’d ever met. The room looked like it used to be a attic or something spooky where ole dead folks kept things that nobody wanted. I reckon it was the way the roof went up and down and how the li’l cobwebs hung on the corners that made it come off scary. Anica had tried to make it look as girly as possible with the pink walls and posters of singers, but it still needed a lot more as far as I was concerned. The best part ’bout the room was the bathroom was attached, and that meant we didn’t have to run downstairs every time we needed to go. I was happy ’bout the bathroom part, ’cause lately my belly didn’t seem able to hold on to nothing for any ’mount of time.

I thought I’d like being with Anica and her mama based on how nice they’d both been to me. But things started looking different after I moved in.

It wasn’t longer than a minute b’fore mama and daughter was out shopping at the 5-7-9 store for clothes that neither one had no business wearin’. Lord knowed that Anica’s rear end was ’bout as wide as two jumbo watermelons put together. Anybody in they right mind could see that she couldn’t fit nothing that was a size 5 through a 9, unless she was to buy two of everything and sew ’em together. And her mama was no betta’ off. When I asked the two of ’em how come they didn’t wait for me to come back from visiting Marlena b’fore they went shopping, ole Miss Bushfield had a few words for me.

“I don’t remember having to check in with you about nothing I do, missy. In my house I’m the boss, and I say how things is done. Now if you need somebody to take you shopping and buy you some things, then maybe you should call yer daddy. It’s his job to care for you, not mine. I’m doing the good Lord a favor, not yer daddy!”

“But I thought Glenn gave you money to take care of me too? I need some new shoes.” It was true; I hadn’t had new shoes since I stole the pair from the Kmart store. I had never noticed the fishing pole that was sitting in the corner next to the ’frigerator, but I had cause to notice it now. Miss Bushfield was sure quick with the hands, ’cause in the bat of an eye she was whoopin’ on me with that pole like I was her own child! I let her get a few licks in; then I grabbed the small end of the pole that was doing all the hitting and broke it in half. The tears that wanted to fall so bad down my face waited at the edge of my eyes for me to blink. But instead of crying, I stared that ole dog down to her soul wit’out looking away or saying a word, I dared her to hit me again.

“Listen here, you li’l rogue! I’ll kill you like your backwoods no-’count mama should’ve, if you think one time ’bout hitting me back. You li’l heifah, ain’t you about as ungrateful as they come? See here, Anica; see what ya drug into our house. I know you was only trying to help out a friend, baby, but always remember, the very dog you rescue from the street is the one that’ll turn around and bite the hand that feeds it.”

I looked over to Anica, who I thought would help me out by maybe sayin’ a word or two to her mama, but she never said a cotton-picking thing. She just looked away from me and turned her eyes towards her stanky mama—then took a plate of banana puddin’ and sat down at the TV to watch
The Wizard of Oz.
I didn’t care ’bout neither one of them anymore.

After a month and a half, I tried calling the number that Glenn had left for ole Miss Bushfield to use if something came up, and it didn’t work. I tried turning the numbers round as many times as I could, thinking that maybe ole fish lips had got the number wrong. I even called the Hollywood operator and tried to find Barry White or Glodean James, hoping they’d get me to Glenn, but they numbers wasn’t listed. But no matter how many ways I dialed them numbers, Glenn was nowhere to be found. It was right then that I saw that Glenn and Nadine and maybe even Ruby was in on the trick to lose me. It was just like when us kids played hide-and-seek back home and you tried to find the best hiding place so you could never be found. Or when you wanted to dodge the kid with the cooties who wanted to hang out wit’ you and your gang. Instead of telling ’em where your clubhouse really was, you’d send ’em off in the wrong direction ’cause you didn’t wanna be bothered.

Then, that Monday, soon as I came home from school, ole Miss Bushfield told me, “You need to find someplace else to live. There ain’t no more room in my house.”

“Why I have to leave; didn’t Glenn pay you already?”

“That ain’t none of your danged business what goes on between me and yer daddy.”

Something inside of me just closed shut. When I was in south Austin, I used to play with doodlebugs. I remember I’d take a straw from a broom and try and tickle ’em and they’d curl up into a tight ball. Right then, I felt just like one of them bugs. Seein’ how I couldn’t stay no more, later on that night, I snuck out the house and went to Marlena’s. I told her ’bout how Anica’s mama’d told me to get out, and Marlena let me stay the night with her.

The next day I thought I’d go back to the Bushfields to get the rest of my things. I’d already learned how to look for truant officers from Marlena. She told me that they watched the streets for kids who didn’t go to school and if they caught you they’d take you to jail. Marlena said that I should be on the watch for a white, brown, or beige-colored car that would have two mens riding in it as they stared out into the streets and bushes for kids. I kept my eyes open and stuck to the backstreets as best as I could. It was morning, and I figured Miss Bushfield to be off to work, so I walked straight to her house.

Once I got to the house, I walked to the backyard and tried to open the back door, but it was locked. Since I was the only one who didn’t have a key, and was usually wit’ Anica, the back door was left open in case we was to be separated—but not today. I tried jimmying the door, but it wouldn’t open; so I started looking to see if there was any other way to get inside the house.

I seen that a window was cracked open, leading to the kitchen, and I pulled it open farther, dragged a garbage can over to it, then crawled into the house. Something inside me didn’t feel so right ’bout this, but I kept on going anyway. As I was on my way up the stairs I thought I heard something behind me, but I knowed it couldn’t be true ’cause everybody should’ve been at school or work. After stopping to listen closer, I decided to turn round to see what the noise was. Ole Miss Bushfield caught me round the collar from the back. She punched me so hard in the forehead with a balled-up hand I didn’t know my tail from a hole in the ground.

“Whoa Nelly, what the hell are you doing up in my house when ain’t nobody supposed to be here?” There she went, upside my head again. “How’d you get inside? I’m calling the police and let them know you breaking an’ entering. Now get on up them stairs before I come after you. And stay till I come get you!” She pushed me up the stairs. After catching my balance, I took two stairs at a time; then I slammed myself in the room. I could hear her slowly coming after me, shoutin’ that my daddy didn’t pay her ’nough to be harboring burglars and that I was for sho’ not going to be slamming a damned thing up in her house. “As a matter of fact,” she said, talking out loud to nobody, “your daddy ain’t paying me nothing at all. As a matter of fact, he’s nowhere to be found. You gots to go, child; there’s no more room in the inn,” she screamed, laughing at the same time.

“Yes, Lordy. No room in the end.” She laughed in a scary kinda way.

“Now I don’t mind looking after my brother’s flock! Thank you, Jesus! But I sho’ ain’t no danged shepherd. These days the shepherds gots to get paid! Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name! That’s right! Get paid. In the name of Jesus.”

I knowed now that this woman had gone plumb fool. And that my daddy wasn’t any kin to me a’tall! Nobody in they right mind would do this to a child of they own.

I started changing my clothes as fast as I could. Putting on the best things I had, and somehow knowing I wasn’t ’bout to see my stuff no time soon, I picked my favorite red Converse sneakers and a pair of blue corduroy pants and shirt with a glittered rose on the front. I also took the plastic baggie that was holdin’ my special things, like my mood ring, and put it in my back pocket. While I packed, I locked the flimsy door behind me, just in case the ole woman tried to bust in on me. I picked up Anica’s phone. Calling the police was all I could think to do. It was clear to me by now that all Miss Bushfield was gonna do was hit me. Specially now since Glenn wasn’t sending no money. I’d been thinkin’ on how I hated him b’fore—this time it was for real! I didn’t know the police’s phone number, but I knew that all I had to do is dial the operator, and if I told her it was a emergency, she would put me through to the proper authorities. I had seen people on TV do this.

“Operator? Can you connect me to the police?”

“Is this an emergency?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s the nature of your problem?”

“I’ve been beat up real bad.”

“By who? Is the person still there?”

“No.” Just in case the police would wanna speak with ole Miss Bushfield and have her talk me outta wanting to leave, I decided to lie.

“Please hold.”

“Hello, is this the Richmond Police Station?”

“Yes. How can I help you?” the man on the other side of the line asked.

“Hi. I was wonderin’, if I didn’t have no place to go, could I come down to where y’all at?”

“Yes, you can, young lady. Are you all right? Do you need help?”

“Nah, I’ll come to you. What’s yo’ address?”

I wrote the number he gave me down on my mind.

“Hey, wait!” I told the man with the deep voice. “If I come down there, are y’all gonna lock me up in one of them rooms with the metal doors where you keep real bad people?”

“No, we don’t do those sorts of things to kids.”

“All right then, I’m on my way,” I told him, hoping he would wait for me.

I knew I couldn’t get out the house through the front door without being caught by the two-faced Jesus freak. So I went to the window that was facing the front of the house, opened it, and jumped the two stories, landing mostly on my feet but scraping up my knees along the way. My knees burned a li’l when I tried to move, so I sat crouched down to let ’em get used to the stinging. Then I was off. I walked into the church ’cross the street from where I was to see if I could find some of that holy water Marlena had told me ’bout. She said if you took the water and placed it right b’tween your eyes, then God would bless you with no harm and protect you for all your days. I figured I give it a try ’cause maybe her Italian God was doing a betta’ job than the one who looked after the black folks.

While I was sneaking round trying to find the sink-shaped thing that held on to the water, I saw that a door was open to a office. I didn’t see nobody inside, but there was a purse sitting right there in broad daylight, so I opened the purse real fast and took the first thing I saw: a ten-dollar bill. Closing everything back like it was, I tiptoed out the crack of the door I had come in through. I was ’bout to forget the holy water holder and just leave when I seen that it was right in front of me all the while. I took my first and second finger like Marlena had said her preacher did and dipped ’em in the water. Pulling my fingers out, I made a circle in the place right b’tween my eyes and played like I was drawing a cross, just like Marlena had told me. Then I left. But not before asking God to not be mad at me ’bout the money. I figured that God, of all folks, would know why I had to do it. Lord have mercy, did I feel bad, though. I walked out the building and stared at the house ole Miss Bush-field lived in. After sticking my tongue out at her and giving her the middle finger, I started down Rector Street telling myself that I was never gonna come back here again.

By the time I walked up the steps that led inside the Richmond Police Station and stood at the front door, my insides was doing something I had long forgot all ’bout. Ever since I came to Glenn’s, I hadn’t paid much mind to what my insides told me. From borrowing from Kmart to borrowing from the Lord, I did what I seen fit. But this time something spoke up to tell me what to do, and I listened. I listened good too. It was clear to me that outta all my li’l gang, I was the only one that didn’t have a place to go to at night where folks really wanted them to be round. I was tired of it. And I was also tired of knowin’ that no matter where I was, anybody could just say that they didn’t want the likes of me and send me off. My mama had done it. Then Big Mama. Then my mama again. And now, my so-called daddy was doing it!